I See No Difference (was Re: Draco is quite the wizard)

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 160758

Potioncat wrote:
<snip>
 And yes, Ron's and Harry's detention was for disrepect to him, not 
> for the dueling. I think it's noteworthy that he doesn't tack on any 
> extra punishment to Harry for the duel. (This is Snape, you know.)

> > Then, again, perhaps he was only taking the opportunity to force 
> the two estranged friends to work together so that they could mend
the  rift in their friendship. He's like that, you know. ;-)

> Alla responded:
> 
> Oh, that' right, I forgot. He is a relentless worker to unite the 
> Houses to make all students treat each other with kindness and 
> dignity and he shows them the example of his own behaviour.
> 
> Yes, sorry, my bad :)
>
Carol adds:

I agree with Potioncat that Harry, like Draco, was not punished for
duelling. He and Ron were punished for talking back and calling Snape
names that JKR can't specify in a children's book (but I think we can
imagine them fairly easily). 

Now I'm going to surprise Alla by agreeing with her point (upthread)
that Snape may have deliberately provoked Ron and Harry with his "I
see no difference" comment. He didn't deny Hermione the opportunity to
run to the hospital wing (following Goyle), nor as someone pointed
out, did he punish her for being absent from class. Of course, he
expected her to go there. He just didn't specifically send her. And
maybe he got a bit of spiteful pleasure out of insulting the
"insufferable Know-It-All." But Potioncat's point is well taken.
Whatever Snape's intentions (and we can't know them because the pov
prevents us from seeing inside his mind, the words "I see no
difference" lead to Ron and Harry (who at this point are not speaking)
sharing a detention, Ron and Harry defending Hermione together against
Snape. I think it points out to them (subconsciously) where their
loyalties lie and makes them both want to resume their friendship
(even though it doesn't happen yet, for reasons related to the boys
themselves, not to Snape).

None of this has anything to do with coddling Draco. Snape doesn't see
who started the duel. He gives Harry the same *non*punishment for
duelling that he gives to Draco. The detentions in this case, as in
the DADA class in HBP, are for disrespect to himself, not for duelling
(or, in HBP, hitting Snape with a defensive spell that should have
been nonverbal, which IMO is what he was egging Harry on to attempt).
And as Draco isn't guilty of disrespect in this instance, he doesn't
get a detention. (HBP!Draco is a whole different matter.)

Note that Snape's words to Draco are stern, nothing like the coddling
that we'd hear from Petunia if Dudley were involved in a fight at
school:  "'And what is all this noise about?' said a soft, deadly
voice. Snape had arrived. The Slytherins clamored to give their
explanations. Snape pointed a long yellow finger at Malfoy and said,
'Explain'" (299). Doesn't sound like favoritism to me.

Nor does Snape punish Harry for interrupting Draco's explanation. All
he does at first is listen to both sides and send Goyle to the
hospital wing. Up to the point when Harry shows Snape Hermione's teeth
and Snape makes his tactless remark about seeing no difference, when
Hermione runs off whimpering and Ron and Harry start shouting what I
assume to be obscenities at Snape, Snape handles the situation well,
IMO. Also, of course, Snape can't let Ron and Harry get away with
yelling and swearing at him, whether he deliberately provoked their
behavior or not, or discipline in his classes will break down (unless
his students can still be quailed by a dangerously soft voice and a
cold look). Since Draco isn't involved in the shouting and swearing,
there's no reason for him to get a detention for that particular
infraction. (True, he didn't get one for fighting in the corrridor,
but neither did Harry.)

Carol, who is not condoning Snape's hurtful remark regarding
Hermione's teeth or his apparent provocation of Ron and Harry, only
pointing out that sticking his finger in Draco's face and demanding an
explanation is not coddling